A decision about where to make $240,000 of cuts to the Founders Memorial Library’s materials budget should be made by early next week.

Library Director Theodore Welch said NIU Provost Kendall Baker has reviewed three options for the cuts and will give his response by early next week.

The first option, as outlined in a memorandum from Welch to college deans, department heads and chairmen would require canceling all of the journals on the final cancellations list. The book budget then would be re-adjusted to the percentage of the total budget that it occupied before money was taken from it on loan for the journals budget last year.

The second option would require canceling about one-half of the journals on the final cancellations list and reducing the books purchased by $120,000.

The third option would reduce the budget by reducing journal purchases by $180,000 and book purchases by $60,000.

Departments are submitting their proposals for cutbacks, Welch said. He said certain departments use particular materials more than others. He said, for instance, departments such as the physics department use many journals.

“Everybody feels the impact of less books,” Welch said. He said the library needs to continue buying some books for teaching and research.

The library also needs to continue contributing to the Library Computer System, Welch said.

The budget reduction must come from the materials budget and not from personnel, he said.